THREE
FORTY-
FOUR
MY LORD AND LADY
FORTY-FIVE DAISY AND DEMI
FORTY-SIX UNDER THE UMBRELLA
FORTY-
SEVEN
HARVEST TIME
CHAPTER ONE
PLAYING PILGRIMS
"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on
the rug.
"It's so dreadful to be poor!" sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress."I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other
girls nothing at all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff.
"We've got Father and Mother, and each other," said Beth contentedly from
her corner.
The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful
words, but darkened again as Jo said sadly, "We haven't got Father, and shall not
have him for a long time." She didn't say "perhaps never," but each silently
added it, thinking of Father far away, where the fighting was.
Nobody spoke for a minute; then Meg said in an altered tone, "You know the
reason Mother proposed not having any presents this Christmas was because it is
going to be a hard winter for everyone; and she thinks we ought not to spend
money for pleasure, when our men are suffering so in the army. We can't do
much, but we can make our little sacrifices, and ought to do it gladly. But I am